Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an outdoor sports accessory. More specifically it relates to a jacket that converts into a sleeping bag. The sleeping bag is stored along the interior of the rear portion of the jacket for easy transport and can be easily unfolded and extended when a user is ready to sleep or needs protection from environmental elements along his or her entire body length.
Outdoor enthusiasts are often faced with the dilemma of balancing how much gear to carry on hiking or camping trips. Some items are necessary for the commencement of particular activities, some are necessary for hygiene, and still others are used for safety purposes. Persons embarking on lengthy backpacking or camping trips will likely need to bring more with them than those hikers who are going on an overnight trip. Items are usually placed in a large backpack that may or may not be attached to a solid frame and then strapped to a user's body. While these backpacks are volumous and offer ample storage, users must be careful not to overload the backpack lest it become unmanageable or difficult to carry. To reduce the weight and bulk of the gear they must carry, outdoor enthusiasts are constantly seeking items that are more compact, and serve multiple purposes.
Sleeping bags are carried by almost anyone going on an outdoor trip that will last for more than a day or through a twilight period. These devices offer thermal protection, a shield from insects and a lightly padded surface to sleep on to increase comfort. The most important function of a sleeping bag is to provide users with protection from environmental elements such as cold, rain and wind. Typical sleeping bags are formed in an elongated pouch having a u-shaped cross section with a zipper along one side to permit the user to enter and exit the bag, and allow the bag to be closed around his or her body while therein. While in use, the shape of these bags can consume a sizeable amount of space within a tent or sleeping area. When the bag is not in use, it is rolled up and secured in the rolled state. The shape and size of these bags when stowed and placed in a backpack can result in a considerable amount of lost volume that can otherwise be utilized for carrying necessary camping gear. Depending on the size and material construction, the sleeping bag can add substantial weight and bulk to the gear carried by a user. A form-fitting, non-cumbersome sleeping bag alternative is needed, to provide outdoor enthusiasts with a convenient way to carry their night-time protection with them.
Description of the Prior Art
The prior art contains several hooded jackets that convert into sleeping environments. Some of these devices provide several functions to a user. Gonzales, U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,892 discloses a garment that can be converted from a jacket into a vest, jumpsuit or sleeping bag. The device is a vest having two front chest sections and a rear back section permanently secured to the chest sections. A vertical zipper joins the two chest sections to create a vest. Tubular arm portions are removably attached to the upper area of the vest sides, using zippers. A detachable hood is also included and may be removably secured using a zipper at the top of the chest portions. A pair of leg sections can be secured to the chest portions using zippers that extend around the bottom of the chest portions. A zipper running vertical from front to back removably secures the two leg portions together and creates a pouch shape. In this way the jacket is attached to the lower pouch to form a sleeping bag. The pouch can be longitudinally unzipped and reformed into individual pant legs. Footed portions can be secured to the bottom of the leg portions. This embodiment of the device provides a footed jumpsuit to a user. Gonzales discloses lower portions (legs) that can be buttoned along the front and rear of the garment for storage. This approach can be bulky and awkward. The instant invention is stored along the back of the inside of the jacket portion so that the lower portion is easy to carry and non-cumbersome.
Another multi-function device is disclosed by Jensen, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0031413. The device of Jensen is a hooded jacket that converts into a combination sleeping bag and shelter structure. The sleeping bag portion is stored in a lower portion of the jacket. The bag is rolled up or compressed for storage, unlike the sleeping bag of the present device, which is folded against the interior rear portion of a jacket and jacket hood for storage. The lower section of the Jensen sleeping bag has a substantial arcuate quality that allows a user's legs to move freely. Along the upper portion of the jacket, wires are stored. These wires are unfolded along with two side flaps, and combined to form a small tent structure that covers the upper portion of a user's body.
Other devices are less customizable and consist of a jacket or coat with a sleeping bag that is stored within a portion of the jacket. Weaver, U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,876, discloses one of these devices. A hooded jacket is provided that is secured to a sleeping bag. The sleeping bag folds up against the interior rear portion of the jacket and acts as a jacket liner when the sleeping bag is not in use. The sleeping bag extends from the chest area of a user down to the user's feet. A zipper extends from the top of the sleeping bag to approximately halfway down the length of the sleeping bag to allow a user to enter and exit the bag. When the sleeping bag is not in use, it is folded in half and removably secured to the inside of the jacket using hook and loop fasteners. Weaver does not disclose a sleeping bag portion that extends into the jacket hood when folded. The present invention contemplates the use of the interior rear of the jacket hood for storing a portion of the sleeping bag. This allows the sleeping bag portion to be longer and thereby accommodate taller users than the bag of Jensen.
The prior art also contains other types of wearable garments that convert into sleeping bags such as O'Reilley, U.S. Pat. No. 2,376,617, which discloses a vest that converts into a sleeping bag for a child. The sleeping bag is large and rectangular so as to provide a child with ample room to move. Another wearable device is the convertible “fanny pack” disclosed by Stewart, U.S. Pat. No. 7,651,016. The device is a pouch that removably secures around the waist of a user. A sleeping bag, camping pad, seating pad or other useful outdoors device can be stored within the pouch when the device is not in use. Neither O'Reilly nor Stewart disclose the use of a hooded jacket, or a sleeping bag that folds up into the interior of the rear portion of a wearable garment. The instant invention includes both of these features to provide a more compact and comfortable sleeping bag transport experience.
None of the devices discussed in the prior art disclose a lower portion of a sleeping bag that is adapted to fit the contour of a user's legs and feet. The present combination jacket and sleeping bag provides a device that is contoured to the shape of a user's body and reduces the amount of empty space inside the device where cold air can seep in. By reducing the amount of excess space, the present invention helps keep a user warm by trapping body heat in and keeping cold air out. It substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing jackets with convertible sleeping bag devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.